Fort Collins High's Fall Musical Repeats ThesCon Performance in 3 Years

What was once thought to be a one-time chance for students to perform on the grand stage of Bellco Theatre in Denver is now happening again just two years later. Fort Collins High School's fall musical has been selected through a competitive process to take the stage at the annual Colorado State Thespian Conference from December 12th to 14th. This marks the second time in three years that the school's production has achieved this feat. One high school musical and one drama are chosen each year for these performances.

Honor and Audience Experience

Senior Naomi Goldman emphasizes the significance of this opportunity. "It's a big honor," she says. "Our theater seats about 700 people, but performing at Bellco is an experience like no other. It's an audience of five times that size, and it's truly an experience of a lifetime."For the 2022 production of "Chicago," Naomi and fellow senior Juliet Tremblay also had roles. This recent success has led to questions about the school's secret. Tyler, the musical director since 2003, attributes it to the students' passion and heart. "I feel like they perform with their heart, they do tech with their heart, and it shows," he says.

The Musical "Six: Teen Edition"

"Six: Teen Edition" is a British musical comedy that debuted in 2017. The plot revolves around Henry VIII's six wives competing in a singing competition to share their stories. Each of the six queens, including Naomi as Catherine Parr and Juliet as Katherine Howard, performs solo numbers.Fort Collins High School performed the family-friendly teen edition in October to sold-out crowds in their smaller Black Box venue. To prepare for the December 12th show at ThesCon, they added encore performances at 7 p.m. on December 6th and 7th in their larger Tower Theater. Tickets for these encore performances are available online at cur8.com.Moving from the Black Box to the Tower Theater provides a step in size and scope for the cast and crew. Organizers expect over 4,000 performing arts students, faculty, and staff to attend ThesCon this year. Tyler explains, "That's why we do these encore performances - to get them used to a bigger crowd and adjust timing and reactions."

Interconnectedness and Teamwork

Stage manager Ellie Odenwald highlights the importance of each transition. "Everything really just scales up a bit," she says. The set remains the same, but lights, sound, and music are connected to different production boards.The students' understanding of the behind-the-scenes roles is crucial. As Tyler and cast members note, one of the queens in "Six" is an assistant stage manager for "Black Comedy," and a sound technician has an acting role. This interconnectedness leads to a tight-knit production.The students truly enjoy the time spent together practicing and performing. Tremblay says, "I think that's the reason this was so good. We're all very loving and gracious and supportive. It's more fun for the audience when we're having a great time."Each of the six queens puts on powerful solo performances, but the final number with the full ensemble is the highlight. Tremblay explains, "I love the very last song. It's about reclaiming our stories and girl power. It's really powerful every time we sing it."Reporter Kelly Lyell covers education, breaking news, and other topics. Contact him at [email protected], x.com/KellyLyell, and facebook.com/KellyLyell.news.